In 1985 a geology professor came up with the concept of types of fun which is a scale that outdoor enthusiasts use today. Type 1 is experiencing fun in the moment. Type 2 is looking back on a strenuous experience which was not fun in the moment but fun in retrospect. Type 3 is zero fun. No fun in the moment and no fun in retrospect. I just came back from the AAI alpinism 1 course and this was definitely type 2 fun. The course for a true novice like me is designed to take you out of your comfort zone and experience something radically different from what you are used to. Although it was quite strenuous for me, looking back on it, I'd do it again. Before you tackle this course, don't do what I did to train. Most of my time was in the gym, doing heavy leg and back work. While this is useful, a better approach would have been to practice hiking up hill with a pack. This is the strategy that one of my team mates used and it makes total sense for the hiking portions of the course. I'll detail the trip: 7 am: show up early like 645 to the store. Here you will go over all your gear and get rentals. One thing I would advise is to purchase a down sleeping bag of your own to minimize weight and volume. The rental bag at the store is a mountain hardware lamina synthetic bag which is very warm but bulky and will take up a bunch of space in your pack. Most things I rented. I definitely agree with a four season double wall tent. A single wall is not a great idea in the early season. If this is your first time, rent as much as you can to see what works for you and what doesn't do you can buy your own gear later. The first day is rock climbing at Mt Erie. After the gear review at the shop, you will get into a van and carpool to Mt Erie. Having never done this before, it was fun and totally safe since you do have belay devices etc. if I could do it again, I would practice for a couple weeks on an indoor rock wall. After the first day you go to a campground and spend the night. There are showers there so take advantage while you can. The second day is the day that will really test your mettle. You drive from the campground to the trailhead area at Baker. In the early season, there will be a lot of wet heavy snow on the ground. The hike is 5-6 miles uphill (sometimes very steep) carrying a 50-60 lb pack on snowshoes. If you haven't done this before, this is where endurance training comes in. Don't take this lightly. You then make it to basecamp and set up. Third day: recovery day. You learn self arrest, rope tying, and picket anchoring for crevasse rescue. Fourth day: steep hike up to the glacier to practice crevasse rescue. This was probably one of the hardest uphill hikes I have ever done but the views were amazing. Look up some videos beforehand on crevasse rescue. Fifth day: probably a summit day if weather permits. This is an 8 hour hike from base camp to the summit. Since I was the slowest one on the hike in and up to the glacier, I opted out and hung out at basecamp to recover. Summit day is probably more unpredictable in the early season. It was raining and was overcast on the summit that day. Sixth day: hike out. This is naturally much easier and faster than the hike in. All in all, I was glad I did this. My guide was Andrew who was amazing and gave me some much needed pep talks during hiking. In fact all the guys in the course were awesome and kept me going and encouraging me to keep pushing forward. In sum, a great course if you're thinking about taking it. Just train properly with a mix of strength and endurance work and some practice rock climbing. If you do this kind of preparation, you may get closer to type 1 fun rather than type 2. read more

I took the Alpinism 1 course with AAI, the last course of the season. It was an amazing experience. We covered everything from glaciology to glacier travel, and crevasse rescue systems. Even though it was a late-season course with no snow, the guides improvised creative demonstrations for skills like snow anchors so we didn't miss out on the learning. They were patient, kind, funny, and extremely knowledgeable, creating a supportive learning environment and providing clear, helpful feedback. By the end of the course I felt confident in my ability to be a safe member of a rope team. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone interested in mountaineering. read more

They are the best company in the US to take you on a glacier. I took the ALP 1 course with American Alpine Institute and had an incredible experience. The guides created a very safe and supportive environment while still pushing us to learn and grow. I came away with practical glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills, and a much deeper confidence in the mountains. Everything from logistics to instruction was top-notch. Highly recommend for anyone serious about alpine climbing. read more

Amazing organization which is connected to the local outdoors community. I did the 3-day glacial skills and crevasse rescue course with Jason Martin. It was confidence inspiring and a lot of fun. So glad I finally decided to do the formal training. It's taken my mountaineering skills to the next level. read more

To anyone considering using AAI, it is worth taking a moment to get an understanding of the system. I learned this the hard way. After a wonderful trip which I will review below, I signed up for a second trip. Prior to this, I got the flu and had to cancel. I had not purchased travel insurance due to my own personal reasons/bias against insurance companies. As the trip approached and I realized I would have to cancel they again suggested get insurance, which at the last minute I did. However, I made a second mistake and did not read the details of the policy. They require a physician's certification of illness, which I thought was inappropriate to ask of a very sick individual and very busy doctors. However, that ultimately was on me. It was easy to want to blame AAI for not guiding me (haha) through this process, but it is not their job to do that. I am still negotiating with Redpoint and may lose my money, but in the end it really was all on me and I was just making poor decisions because I was sick and sleep deprived. So, in short, take the time to forget about rock, snow, and ice and make sure you understand the system. They are doing their best and if they refunded all cancelling customers they would be out of business. As for the trip I attended, it was a masterclass in outdoor education. Andy Stephen and Dawood Dada were simply superb professional instructors. They were so over qualified that it was like getting an introductory guitar (or harmonica) lesson from David Gilmour. They broke down the complexities of crevasse rescue, taught us how to move with crampons, but more importantly they taught us how to live on a glacier. Andy saved me from what was going to be a serious case of sunburn. Dawood saved multiple people from suffering from cold and wet boots. Dawood also brought a sick client down from the mountain not only safely but with dignity. My conclusion is that all the negative reviews and feelings, my own included, were tied to our-the client's- misunderstanding of the system. I would trust Dawood guiding my wife on Snake Dike and am going to trust Andy guiding me on Cloud Tower. These are the best in the biz. As clients, it is our job-yeah it sometimes hurts to admit it- to know what we are paying for and how the system works. read more

Jason Martin led an 3-day course for the AMGA's Single Pitch instructor certification. He was professional, instructional, entertaining, and enlightening. I learned a lot in three days and 100% recommend him and the AAI read more

Insulting staff. Was treated terribly when I was vulnerable and had an unfortunate medical emergency. Choose a different organization

I'm out $1000!...absolutely disappointed that cancelling on me last year and the hardships American Alpine Institute put me through would not be taken into serious consideration - Cancelling on me is okay and not the same as me asking to reschedule...in their mind my time and money is not the same as theirs. Last year, right before the event, AAI cancelled my scheduled climb as no one else signed up. I scrambled...I rearranged my life, vacation and plans. To accommodate them, I rescheduled my climb to this year. This year, two weeks before my climb, I injured my knee. I asked them to _return the courtesy_ I afforded their company and move my climb to another class. They told me it was not an option. I then offered to pay double and have my wife join me on a rescheduled climb - they declined. They explained they allocated double guides for 4 climbers in my class and a rescheduling could cause a guide "not to be paid", and I should have bought insurance. read more

Hired a rock climbing guide for the day at Red Rocks through AAI and had a less than optimal experience including some safety concerns. I wrote a long detailed note and NEVER got a response. I do not feel this company has an appropriate level of concern for their clients' safety. Would stay away. read more

Just got back from the Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership Part 1 course with my wife. We were blown away by the caliber of guides (Alex, Eli, and Lauren were wonderful! Endless thanks!), the thorough curriculum, the choice of climbs, and the careful selection of our fellow students. What a life-changing experience! We look forward to practicing our new skills and joining AAI soon for Part 2 of the course! read more

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I attended the first introduction course and had a great time. When I went, many new workers joined our group for training so I had the chance to meet a lot of the people working there. They were all awesome people who had unique stories and experience. The leaders of the group were very professional and extremely skilled. I became sick one of the days and everyone was immediately willing to help and also gave me extra supplies when I had forgotten them. Also, many of the people were very motivating and were more than happy to encourage me up the mountain. read more

My son and I, climbed Mt. Baker mid July with Jeremy. We had an awesome experience! I would highly recommend this academy. Jeremy was great, very knowledgeable, patient and fun to climb with. read more

Had a great trip with guide - Ben T. The Crystal Crag near Mammoth did not disappoint. Ben's rock craft and rope management were superb in the alpine environment. The AAI staff, esp. Hillary, were responsive and accommodating. Would definitely consider another guided trip with this outfitter. read more

I took my AIARE Rec 1 through AAI this past weekend and had a truly amazing experience. Our instructors (Dustin, Angela, and Jonathan aka "Coop") fostered excellent learning environments during the in-class day and during our two field days. All were patient when answering participants' questions and were clear communicators. I do plan on getting more avalanche education in the future and will be going through AAI for those courses. Thanks for a great weekend, AAI! read more

Outstanding guided rock climbing day in Red Rock Canyon with guide and my 20 year old son. The guide had top notch experience and teaching skills. We learned a lot and improved quickly with his instruction. Concise, direct, smart and safe. An A++ experience. The office was responsive and professional. Highly recommended. read more

I went on a Mt. Baker climb with AAI and although the guides were great (Seth and Mike) the company was not. AAI is a gear shop that contracts guides but doesn't support them or their customers. We were delayed by 7 hours getting down (terrain conditions and a medical issue). The guides went above and beyond to help a member of the group with a medical issue get down the mountain. The rest of us were stuck at the trailhead in the cold and dark with no food because we were told not to bring food for the final night. AAI have people on call 24/7 to check in gear but can't be bothered to send a van 45 minutes to the trailhead to pick people up. Loved ones were very concerned after not hearing from me for 6 hours after they expected to and the AAI site and phone line don't provide any way to get information or talk to anyone. They simply give the hours of the gear shop. I recommend finding a company committed to servicing their customers instead of just renting them gear. read more